Google Interview Process And Preparation
Google interview preparation should start before you even apply for a job, according to the firms careers page. The process involves six steps: self-reflection, job searching, resume submission, applying online, interviews, and the decision and offer.
How to prepare for your Google interview will depend on the specific role for which you are applying. Some jobs will require online assessments, short virtual chats, or actual mini projects. Google interview questions and answers themselves tend to be in-depth and are used to give the interviewer insight into how you think. In addition, open-ended questions to test your thought process are employed for internal strategy and product management roles. Highly technical questions are also standard for most positions at Google.
The Google interview tends to be structured, so that interviewees can be fairly compared against a rubric. At the same time, the questions are open-ended so Google can gain true insight into how your mind works. Traditional questions about your resume and previous experiences are unlikely to be asked directly, but the core principles of behavioral interviewing will still apply.
Hr Interview Round In Google Interview
The HR round was smooth. There werent any technical questions in this Google interview round. My HR interviewer wanked to know about my interest for the position. They said Why should we hire you? He further asked me to talk about Section 377. I was unable to speak up confidently as my knowledge on this topic is limited. I managed to mention gay marriages are legal but could not say clearly that LGBT community of India is no more included in Section 377.
Actually, I could not explain my thoughts clearly as I had not read up on the topic. I should have mentioned it earlier, which was my mistake. The HR person probably spotted my lack of determination and hence, I was not selected for the job.
That was my interview experience in detail.
Google Engineering Manager Interview
The is challenging because the role of the Engineering Manager, or EM, is challenging. Its also one of the most important roles at Google. Technical chops are required, but so are sound management and communication skills. Engineering Managers must have technical know-how to provide leadership for major projects while also motivating and leading the people doing the work. You can expect 4 types of interviews for the EM role: technical phone interview, leadership, coding, and system design.
The technical phone interview will cover coding questions. Youll have to actually write code in your strongest language after explaining how to think about an open-ended question via an algorithm. The leadership interview will be more behavioral in nature. Youll be asked about leadership experience, working with teams, and what the firm refers to as Googleyness. Googleyness refers to your comfort with ambiguity, action bias, and collaboration. Remember to draw on concrete examples to demonstrate your leadership skills.
You could encounter the following math and/or coding questions in an EM interview:
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Introducing: Google Interview Questions Deconstructed
This is the first of a series of posts on preparing for and understanding interviews at big tech companies, drawing from my experience recruiting and interviewing for Google. Ill be using real banned interview problems I and other Google engineers have used in interviews. I want to prepare you for the sorts of questions youll be asked and give you insight into how your responses will be evaluated .
Before I continue, a disclaimer: while interviewing candidates is one of my professional responsibilities, this blog represents my personal observations, my personal anecdotes, and my personal opinions. Please dont mistake this for any sort of official statement by or about Google, Alphabet, or any other person or organization.
First, bit about me: I graduated in 2012 with a B.S. in Mathematics from Fordham and a B.S. in Computer Science Engineering from Columbia through a dual-degree program. Ive been working at Google NYC ever since, first on the bidding automation group, and more recently on the AdWords recommendations group. Its given me the opportunity to do a lot of fun and challenging things: write petabyte-scale data analyses, fight late-night production fires, lead multi-person projects from the ground up, implement algorithmic optimizations to core business logic. The list goes on and on, and Ive enjoyed every minute of it.
How To Answer Google Interview Questions
Before we dig into some examples, lets take a moment to talk about how you should answer Google interview questions. After all, Google has a reputation for asking some strange ones, many of which felt more like brain teasers than real interview questions.
Do you feel adequately prepared to talk about how many golf balls it would take to fill up a school bus?
Probably not.
The mere idea of facing off against a question like that would rightfully leave any candidate nervous.
Now, some of the questions were deemed so difficult that the company eventually banned them.Plus, there is evidence that these bizarre hypotheticals dont actually lead to better hiring, which may be why you dont see as many of those tricks today.
So, that means you dont have to worry, right? Well, no.
Even if youre only going to face normal interview questions, that doesnt mean you shouldnt have a strategy. Its also important to prepare, increasing the odds that youll impress during your Google interview.
Lets start with the basics. If you want to stand out for all of the right reasons, research is your friend. Start by scouring over the Google job description. That way, you can learn the ins and outs of what the hiring manager needs to find, giving you all of the foundational tools you need to incorporate the right details into your answers.
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What Project Are You Most Proud Of And Why
This one can be tough, but your interviewer isnt asking you to pick which of your kids is the favorite. The aim here is to obtain some insight into why you enjoyed a given project.
In a tech job interview, your interest level in the minutiae is important. You might tell them you really enjoyed writing a game because you were able to learn about 2D side-scrolling development, and that was really interesting to you. Or maybe you were tasked with picking a new cloud hosting provider for your last team, which felt like a natural role for you to fill given your interest in comparing features.
This also tells the interviewer what interests you have within the parameters of your role, but outside the task of writing code. Maybe youre most proud of leading the way on some small project at your last employer based on that experience, the interviewer may come to view you as someone with the potential to move up in the company.
What Improvements Could You Make To Code You Wrote Six Months Ago
Your interviewer doesnt want details this question is meant to decipher whether or not you continuously search for improvements, or just finish something and forget about it.
This could relate to anything, and isnt a gotcha moment from the interviewer. They may want to know how youd improve some games you have published to the App Store or Google Play, or if you think your GitHub Gists are finished products.
When faced with this question in a job interview, dont fret. The interviewer isnt trying to poke holes in your skillset they simply want to know youve thought beyond publishing.
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Top 30 Google Interview Questions
Every year, Google receives about 3 million applications. Thats only a little less than the entire population of Silicon Valley, which comes in just above 3.1 million.
Holy cow, right?
You know what makes that statistic even more intimidating only about 0.2 percent of those applicants are hired. Now, that doesnt mean you should panic. After all, 0.2 percent of 3 million is 6,000 people. Thats a ton of hiring. Plus, not every applicant is actually qualified. If you are, your odds are probably much better than that statistic shows.
Beating the odds isnt something youll do by accident. You have to be ready to nail any interview question they throw at you. If you fail to impress, youll probably get passed by.
But youre here, right? So, that means you dont want to be complacent. Youre looking for an edge, and thats a great thing. Without any further ado, come with us as we explore what it takes to stand out during your Google interview.
Google Behavioral Interview Questions
Google has many different roles. Some are very technical some are less so. At Google most non-technical interview questions are in its structured interview format where standard questions are asked of all applicants such that a numerical score can be given. And in this process, Google behavioral interview questions are likely to outnumber more traditional questions .
Traditional interview questions are what most people in their career envision when they imagine a business interview. The questions try to get at your knowledge of Google. They also allow you to discuss your skills, strengths, personality, and working style.
- Why do you want to work at Google?
- Tell me about your strengths and weaknesses?
- Who are Googles competitors?
- Can you tell me about Google?
But you may not get many questions like this. Behavioral interview questions will be more common. Youll want to use past experiences to demonstrate a particular competency that the role at Google clearly requires. Your responses to behavioral interview questions should provide the person interviewing you with clear evidence of your skills. Here are some examples of behavioral interview questions you might be asked at Google:
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The Strategy That I Finalized For 1st Phone Interview
- I had 15 days in my hands.
- I planned to complete Easy and Medium Leetcode questions in LeetCode Top Google 50 questions.
- No graph problems and advance algorithms like Dijsktra, KMP, etc.
- Focus more on Dynamic Programming especially Tabulation.
- Practice a few GlassDoor Google Interview Questions.
- Keep on practicing Google questions as much as I can for the next 15 days continuously.
- Practice Classic Dynamic Programming questions.
Check out my next post here. In the next post, I share my preparation and my 1st phone interview experience with Google
What Is The App Academy Application Process
The App Academy application process is not as challenging as you may expect, though they do have a reputation of having a very low acceptance rate. Nonetheless, whether you are a beginner or an expert in programming, App Academy will still offer you an equal opportunity to join the bootcamp. Follow the step-by-step guide below to join App Academy.
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How Do You Explain Technical Concepts To A Non
What theyâre really asking: How are your communication skills?
While the ability to draw insights from data is a critical skill for a data analyst, being able to communicate those insights to stakeholders, management, and non-technical co-workers is just as important.
Your answer should include the types of audiences youâve presented to in the past . If you donât have a lot of experience presenting, you can still talk about how youâd present data findings differently depending on the audience.
Interviewer might also ask:
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What is your experience conducting presentations?
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Why are communication skills important to a data analyst?
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How do you present your findings to management?
Tip: In some cases, your interviewer might not be involved in data analysis. The entire interview, then, is an opportunity to demonstrate your ability to communicate clearly. Consider practicing your answers on a non-technical friend or family member.
How I Got Here
I started programming in middle school, but when it came time for college I pursued a degree in Economics. My rationale was that there would be too many programmers looking for jobs by the time I graduated. Boy, I was wrong.
Later, I joined the Army to become a programmer, but the recruiter talked me into a military intelligence position, and I spent the next two years studying the Korean language. I served in South Korea for 2 years afterward.
Before I left the Army, I attempted to get back into programming and was surprised at the difficulty. I had learned BASIC in middle school and kept programming it through high school. But I restarted my programming studies with C++, and the leap was too large. I just couldnt grasp it.
I did enjoy making websites, however, but I used software with a Word-like interface that I used to publish my websites. I didnt know how to make websites from scratch.
After the Army, I decided to stay in Korea for a year and teach English. I used my nights and weekends to study web programming, using Perl, HTML, CSS , JavaScript, and SQL.
After a year of intense study, I landed a job in the Seattle area, and Ive been here ever since.
Ive been a web developer now for 15 years. Ive started 3 companies, 2 of which are still running and generating revenue. Ive worked at large and small companies, helped startups launch and grow, and recruited and managed teams. Ive been a product manager, a CEO, a designer, and a marketer.
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Google Interview Process Timeline
Historically, the Google interview process timeline was infamously long. It was said that at one point, Google interviewed people on average 20 times over the course of 6-9 months before offering them a job. Current estimates on the Google interview process suggest youll experience 4-9 interviews over a period of 2 months.
Are You Familiar With Variables
This question tests your knowledge of program execution. As with many technical questions, panelists choose this question to get a general overview of your technical knowledge.
Sample Answer
Yes. Variables are excellent for storing the input of a program. They also play a role in storing computational results. When the program is being executed, the variable will change the value.
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What Do Data Analysts Do
What theyâre really asking: Do you understand the role and its value to the company?
If youâre applying for a job as a data analyst, you likely know the basics of what data analysts do. Go beyond a simple dictionary definition to demonstrate your understanding of the role and its importance.
Outline the main tasks of a data analyst: identify, collect, clean, analyze, and interpret. Talk about how these tasks can lead to better business decisions, and be ready to explain the value of data-driven decision making.
Interviewer might also ask:
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What is the process of data analysis?
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What steps do you take to solve a business problem?
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What is your process when you start a new project?
Explain How You Would Estimate
What theyâre really asking: Whatâs your thought process? Are you an analytical thinker?
With this type of question , the interviewer presents you with a problem to solve. How would you estimate the best month to offer a discount on shoes? How would you estimate the weekly profit of your favorite restaurant?
The purpose here is to evaluate your ability to problem solve and your overall comfort working with numbers. Since this is about how you think, think out loud as you work through your answer.
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What types of data would you need?
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Where might you find that data?
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Once you have the data, how would you use it to calculate an estimate?
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What Are Your Thoughts On
Congrats! This job interview just got serious.
This question usually relates specifically to a service youre familiar with . Generally, an interviewer asks about it when the company uses it. Your interviewer wants to know how well you understand that service, which is a measure of how well youll integrate with the team.
An example: If youre using a continuous integration service to push updates to a product youre working on, your interviewer may want to know how well you grasp the full capabilities of said CI tool. If you say something like, I just use it for updating the app, it suggests you really dont have the experience level with that service the company is looking for.
If youre going to list experience with something in your application, make sure you understand it, even if you dont take full advantage of its tooling. You may use Jenkins with NPM and native system packages, but tossing out a comment about how you would like to see how it integrates with Docker at least tells your interviewer youre knowledgeable.
